I'll be seeing you
by Romafille
Summary: Post winter soldier. Theirs was a love of circumstance, rebuilt from rubble and ash, piece by piece. He knew some part of her would always love another, and he had come to terms with from the very beginning.
1. Chapter 1

I'll be Seeing you:

Chapter one:

Dusk was falling very slowly in the small fishing village of Portofino. She smiled at the sweet grey terrier wagging its bun of a tail and began to converse with the wrinkled and weathered produce stand owner. Italian was a language she had been familiar with growing up in New York and working in Brooklyn for many years. It became much easier to grasp once immersed in the romance of it all.

She picked the firmest tomatoes, greenest spinach and freshest herbs the kind old Italian woman had and paid the small sum with a smile. After placing the items in a woven bag she patted the dog known as 'Tucci' and carried on with her errands. There was always that feeling in the pit of her stomach. The sensation of being watched but it wasn't anything new, in fact she had come to expect it. Her former self would have been riddled with anxiety at the thought of being tracked but completely unaware of it to even begin with. The past several years had given her experience enough to be conscious of her surroundings, to trust few and guard herself to the best of her ability. The sweetness that was still remains it was now just a cocktail of painful memories and a toughness only misfortune can grant oneself.

'There are always people worse off than you.' The firm belief of her grandmother Mae always sat in the back of her mind along with other advice for when she needed it most. All that was left now were the scars and memories of how simple life used to be but that was why she was living in this quaint village. She aimed to capture that uncomplicated feeling once more but she was wise enough to know, things would always be complex.

After exiting a family run deli she caught the scent of freshly baked bread from the bakery across the cobble street and the aroma brought back the feeling of home and Sundays with Grandma Mae. There was nothing quite as comforting as breaking into a loaf of fresh warm bread and the feeling of solace the second it melted in your mouth. She was in and out of the shop with a soft 'gratzi' and two loaves of ciabatta and began the short six block walk to the home she shared with her lover.

He would be returning this evening from a 'business trip' and she wanted to make sure their 19th century apartment was tidy and stocked. He never cared, in fact, he never cared about much of anything, he had always been told what to believe, how to feel and who to kill. That is, until he met her and she became all he desired in life, all he meant to do right by.

Theirs was a love of circumstance, rebuilt from rubble and ash, piece by piece. He knew some part of her would always love another, and he had come to terms with from the very beginning. The first time he had been inside of her had not been the most wholesome of dances, she was involuntarily intoxicated and hallucinating that his face and name were different. He recoils from that memory and the terrible deeds he was made to watch when he refused to harm her. They would beat him, cut him, burn him, shock him then wipe him and still, each time her big tawny eyes gazed up at him, he would fall in love over again. They couldn't wipe him anymore, but the nightmares remained, the memories of the pain he inflicted and endured tracked him menacingly. He would sometimes wake in a pool of his own sweat and tears, trembling and full of rage but she would be there. She would hold him and run her soft, delicate fingers through his hair and sing songs to comfort his troubled mind. There were no drugs strong enough to temporarily mask his past traumas but, she could always calm his nerves and centre his soul, he was designed to heel fast but she was not.

His sweet Vera had her share of anxieties in life.

Her body didn't adapt like his and though he would hold her close, she still needed to slip a tablet under her tongue and let it dissolve every so often. The episodes had become less as of late, for the both of them because they made each other better.

He wasn't a weapon or a puppet and dirty doer when he was with her, he was simply James.

Vera knew everything about his past, before he became a weapon but she never pressed him, she only divulged information when he asked for it. He enquired often enough simply because he would picture her there with him and it made the information feel real. She would play him movies from every decade and songs, explain historical events and make love, a lot. Even saying a lot was an understatement, he had years to make up for and the company of the most beautiful woman to do so. Despite his odd job, they lived a simple life together in a historical apartment filled with vintage furniture and artwork.

James had entered their home with the silent stealth of a predator. The floor plan was and open concept but the entry way shielded the rest of the space and he hid there for a spell.

There were linen bags filled with goods on the dinette in the kitchen and she emerged from the bedroom in a long floral silken robe. Her lovely locks of dark hair were pinned atop her head and as much as he preferred it down, this way left her neck exposed and vulnerable. Vera began to unpack the groceries and place them in their designated spots. She sighed when she looked up at the clock and opened a bottle of wine, filling a hearty glass and began to sip impatiently.

She was used to waiting for the men she loved, seemingly only attracting men that lead dangerous lives and played it incredibly close to the chest. There is nothing quite as agonizing then to be in the dark about where they are and what their doing, if they were alive or dead in a ditch and wiped from existence. James didn't go away nearly as much as Steve had but it never made it any easier. Sure, part of her still loved Steve and she always would but she craved James and loved him in a way that terrified her core. He was all she had left in the world and the reverse was true for him as well. Vera was a much different woman than the one Steve Rogers once loved and perhaps that's why he stopped. The very sadness that his duty caused was the very reason he let her go, funny how that works.

She could feel her chest begin to tighten and her eyes moisten at the thought of life without James and she threw back the red liquid to dull the idea but it only made it grow. She dropped the glass on the floor and began to sob as she fell to her knees to pick up the pieces.

James was at her side in a flash and he pulled her into his body as he seated himself on the floor. Vera pulled her face up and relief washed over her lovely features, his rough hands held her face there, his thumbs wiping the tears.

"James." She said, breathlessly.

"I'm here, baby." He replied and kissed her forehead.

She smiled and began to forget her doleful thoughts in the electricity of his blue eyes. His chiseled jaw had a light dusting of scruff save for the inch long scar on his cheek, a mark the ring she wore the night she was captured left him. She grinned cheekily as she ran a finger over her handy work, she remembered his reaction well. He had finally put her down after carrying her with ease as he hopped buildings, she wound up and swung her fist as hard as she could and connected with his cheek. The flesh split open and blood dripped out, he brought a half gloved hand to it then tasted the metal liquid and smiled as if it were nothing. James smiled at her now.

"It stung a little, you know." He caught her train of thought.

"I'm sure it did." She replied with light sarcasm.

His hair was lazily slicked from his face, it was still long but not nearly as much as before. Vera liked it this way, so he kept it to please and he would be lying if he said he didn't love when she ran her fingers through it as she began to in the moment.

"I haven't showered for a few days, babe."

He was hesitant in his words, not wanting her fingers massage of his scalp.

The softness of his tendrils was coated with a light layer of oil but she didn't care. He smelt of sweat and iron mixed with his natural woodsy musk and it aroused her senses. Vera never thought the notion of laying with a man that just killed another would excite her. It scared her at first and when she told James she assumed he would think she was insane, but he didn't. When he returned home from missions, their lovemaking became more primal in nature. He was overflowing with excess testosterone and she needed him.

"I don't care."

She replied and crashed her full lips onto his. Their embrace was heated and aggressive, his tongue was quick to push through her mouth and dominate her own. They explored each others mouths with the passion of multiple libidos and James stood with ease and wrapped her long, shapely legs around his hard torso. His boots crunched over the broken glass, his lips not once leaving hers as he carried her to their bedroom. His pants became more and more strained each passing second.

Vera's hands deftly and desperately pawed at the buckles of his jacket and it was successful. She pulled her lips from his to unzip it and she could feel the ground as he lowered her too it. He was wearing a simple black tank top, the marred flesh at the start of his metallic arm always made her pause. No matter how carnal the need, Vera always stopped to kiss were the flesh melded with robotic steel. The sensation of it drove him wild with lust and he growled before using his prosthetic limb to rip open her robe.

Her bareness was something he had memorized for those lonesome nights away from it's warmth and the image that made him hard in an instant and in this case, even more solid. His gentle shove was the equivalent to an average man's abrupt one and she fell back on the bed, flushed with desire.

James pulled off his shirt and exposed his godlike skin. Vera couldn't help herself and rose to sit at the end of the bed to kiss and touch every ridge and muscle. He groaned under her sweet, torturous exploration, the desire and animal like passion boiling his blood with every feathery, teasing kiss.

"Lay back." He demanded with a throaty growl.

When she playfully refused, he pushed her himself and covered her beautiful, curvaceous body with his.

He kissed, licked and bit every inch of flesh on her neck and lips and he hovered over her. The long chain he wore was cool on her skin, it bore a cross and patron saint, a remnant of a faith long lost and forgotten. But he wore it, because Vera gave it to him, to remember her by. His hot mouth covered and licked each nipple, as his flesh hand kneaded roughly and she panted and moaned under his touch. The coolness of his other arm inched it's way lower and lower, past her beautiful round breasts, down her long and curved torso and settled on a rounded hip. His mouth alternated between her lips, her neck and her chest, his metal limb slid further south until he reached the outside of her beautiful mound of womanly flesh. He ran a frigid finger over her opening to elicit a gasp from his lover.

"James, please. Don't tease."

Her breathing was anxious and heavy.

"Why not?" He smiled wickedly and ran dipped a finger inside her slick core.

She gasped again.

"Please, I need you inside me."

Vera wasn't lying, and he needed to be inside of her too but he was testing her desperation and craved those very words. She began reaching for his belt buckle and helped him pull his pants down, freeing his impressive and hardened member from its cage.

His pants barely made it to his knees, boots still laced and on his feet before he filled her waiting flesh with his own. They both cried out at the contact, she was so tight, warm and this was where he was meant to be. Vera gripped onto his brawny back and shoulders, her nails digging in a little deeper and urging him on as his thrusting began to speed up. He lowered onto her, his entire weight flushed against her as he pounded into her, body met every pulse. It was a symphony of skin on skin, growling and moaning, no doubt the neighbours would curse at them again. Their eyes stayed locked, both conveying words with their eyes. They were both close, she nodded completely out of words and incapacitated by the building release of immense pleasure in her core. He could feel her impossibly tight walls begin to constrict even more, and she cried out as she rode her orgasm. James covered her mouth with his and tried to hold on but he couldn't any longer, he spilled himself inside her with a final growl of her name and release.

He rolled her with him and she curled into his body, when she looked down, she giggled softly.

She went to the foot of the bed and began to untie his boots and pull them off, then followed his pants.

"I just couldn't bother, I had to be inside you."

He pulled her back up flushed against his body and the two lovers lay there for a few minutes, kissing and touching until Sgt. Barnes reluctantly untangled himself from her glorious limbs.

"Vera, baby, I have to shower."

She sighed.

"Fine." She pouted and covered herself up with her robe.

He bit his lip and sped to the bathroom before he changed his mind and ravaged her again. Vera beat him to it, she jumped into the shower and claimed that her hair needed a rinse. He had her two more times before the water became freezing cold, her legs were shaky but he steadied her. He towelled off in the bedroom when he was certain she could stand properly and smiled taking pride in that small pleasure. There was a loud knock at there front door and the two lovers eyed each other.

" Must be the neighbours telling us to quiet down." She smiled and combed through her hair.

James pulled on some jeans and grabbed a pistol and hid it behind his back, he may have a good life now but he would always be a soldier and now he had someone worth more than any treasure in the world to protect. He opened the door and fell silent.

Vera grew concerned at the growing silence in the apartment, sure James wasn't the most talkative of men but it was almost eerie now.

She threw on a linen sundress and walked out of their room, she wanted to scream but nothing came out.

" Hi, Vera."

That All American smile and those beaming blue eyes made her hurt all over again.

"Steve?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

 _Her eyes had fluttered open seconds before at the sound of the steady monitor hooked to her heart. She stared at the blank, sterile white walls. Vera knew he was there, sitting and waiting for her to wake. Maybe he was in a hospital dressing gown, bursting it's seams with his impossible form but she could smell the leather. Of course he was alive and healed, he was designed for that. She groaned as she turned her body, her arm was broken and she felt as though she was about to split open in several places. Her body was stiff, as though ten hangovers had piled onto one another, her head ached but she pulled herself up. Like the perfect gentleman he was at her side, propping pillows behind her._

 _Steve couldn't kiss her, he couldn't allow himself. When he looked at her now, despite the swelling of his heart, he felt guilt. Her bruised cheek, broken limb and sad heart, were all because of him, all because she loved him and he loved her._

" _Hey." He whispered._

 _Vera winced at the dull pain and pulled herself up, he soflty scolded her._

" _Take it easy" he held her steady as she sat up._

" _I'm fine." she snapped lightly._

 _She could see it in his face, the moment she opened her eyes, that look of self contempt and guilt. He would have that same look after long missions, of course he could never look that way until after they had a long session of fevered love making. The look would usually go away after she assured him she was fine and how much she loved him but this time, it was different. This time, she had been through so much but in doing so had become stronger in a sense. Nonetheless, she couldn't escape the utter turmoil and anguish that pulled at her heart because she understood what he was about to do._

" _Go ahead, Steve."_

 _She wanted to beat him to the blow and maybe ease the unrest inside of her, but the tears began to form in her eyes._

" _Vera"_

" _Go ahead, tell me that you're putting me in so much danger, all my pain is your fault and all you want to do is protect me because you love me."_

 _Steve was silent, almost in shock by her outburst._

 _Vera stood and began pulling the IV and wires hanging off her body, she wobbled a bit and he held her waist to steady her. He didn't want to let go but his mind kept telling him not to hold her, not to touch her, not to kiss her or he wouldn't be able to let her go. Her natural scent and warm body made prying his hands from her the hardest thing he had ever done._

" _You need to rest." His voice was raised._

 _She pulled her arm from the sling, the cast would have to stay until she could find a clinic or something, she had to get out of there before she fell to her knees and begged him to stay. She was in a daze, pulling black leggings from her bag that Steve must have brought. Despite the discomfort was able to put them on and rummage through for a bra and lose fitted tank top. She could hear him calling her name but she refused to turn around, the tears blurred her vision, but she saw it there, a mustard yellow envelope and her passport. It was real this time, she wondered that moment how long he had been planning to send her away. Her anxiety peaked when she realized that she was now going to be truly alone in this world. She staggered forward but strong arms caught her and set her down gently on the hospital bed._

" _I saw the way Bucky looked at you."_

 _It wasn't what she was expecting him to say to her, she was expecting him to say something stupid like 'I love you and that's why I have to let you go'_

 _She caught his gaze, his lips were almost contorting into a smile._

" _I don't know what you mean."_

 _Was he Jealous?_

" _He looked at you like, like"_

" _Like you used to?" She interrupted. He didn't answer, how could he?_

" _He never hurt me, you know. Physically. It was all the others and no matter how many times they wiped his memory, he always remembered me and I don't know why. One night, someone came in and injected me with this stuff, I thought you were there, I thought you had come for me and I was so happy that we."She paused._

" _It wasn't you." Vera buried her head in her hands, the guilt ripping away at her. It wasn't the guilt of being drugged, it was the shame of not stopping the action when she realized it was James._

" _I'm sorry they did that to you, and I'm sorry I couldn't save you."_

 _He looked utterly tormented by what was going on inside of him, he wanted to grab her, feel her lips on his and never let go. He loved her more than anything in the entire universe but he couldn't give her what she deserved. She was warranted to have a full life, with a loving husband that stayed at her side, a dream house in an Italian villa with several children that adored her. She deserved all of that and more, not death, loss and pain for her loyalty and affection._

 _He rubbed his face and combed his fingers through his hair, letting out a defeated sigh._

 _Vera had gathered emotional strength, equivalent to that of Steve's Physicality and ended it before he couldn't._

" _I know what you're meant to do. Just, go." Her voice cracked under the weight of words she never dreamed of speaking to him._

 _She refused to look at him but she could have sworn her ears caught a sniffling noise._

 _Steve shed several tears in that moment but it was the hope that she could go on and have a better life, free of danger that got him through it. With a heavy sigh and even heavier heart, he left that room._

 _Steve paused in the frame of the door, her back still facing him._

" _I'll be seeing you."_

 _He closed the door, and heard the immediate hearty sobs of the woman he loved, and the woman he had to leave behind._

Vera could barely breath at the sight of him, that same soft leather coat adorned his broad shoulders, a blue button up shirt and jeans covered the rest of him.

Steve couldn't help but smile when he saw her, it had been over a year. She was as gorgeous as ever, more present than the picture he still carted around in his compass. She stared at him with those big gilded eyes, a whole slew of emotions coursed through her brain and leading to her heart. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream but nothing came out. She held onto her head, convinced this was a dream gone array. Her form rested into James' solid torso and he looked at Steve with confusion and utter contempt, holding onto Vera's waist in a possessive gesture. ' He still always gets the girl' The super soldier thought to himself, his hands were raised to convey good intentions.

" I have to get straight to the point. Buck, there's people after you. They want to exploit your, talents. I have coordinates for a place you'll be safe, for now at least."

Steve's tone was urgent and firm. Vera shuddered.

" Until you don't need me anymore?" Bucky almost hissed.

"I Just want to help, Buck. Look, they stole some intel and tracked you here but they have no idea about anything from here."

If these people were anything like Hydra, they would rip apart everything he had built in just over a year. James toiled with the knowledge that something like this would happen one day, he just prayed to whoever would listen that it wouldn't. It seems nobody was listening to his pleas. He knew that one day he would have to leave the half that made him whole, his cure and addiction. Bucky nodded and Steve reached out, handing him an untraceable cell filled with all the information he would need.

"Will you keep her safe?"

It was an emotionally charged question, the brunt of which could be heard in his staggering voice.

Her body turned to face him, her eyes inquisitive and uttering disbelief. He couldn't leave, he wouldn't leave her, he said he would never hurt her but the familiar sting was hitting her heart.

" I'll just catch the train to France. My old pen pal lives in Nice."

She croaked out, her unsteady hand at his bare chest.

" No, Vera. You have to go with the Captain over there."

James used his mechanical limb to reach out and push a strand of damp hair behind her ear.

Steve chimed in, completely aware of her stubborn nature and aiding his oldest friend in the oncoming battle of wills.

" They know who you are, Vera. They'll use you against u- Bucky."

Steve had hoped his stumble had gone unnoticed. His enemies knew every strength, and the only weakness. The same was know for the Winter Soldier and the safety of the two people that meant the most to Steve was paramount.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three:

Steve sat idly at the kitchen table, he could hear every word between the woman he still longed for and his best friend whom kept her heart now. It made his chest ache. Seeing her brought forward all the feelings he tried to push down, but he hadn't stopped loving her and he never would. All he could do now is try and give her a piece of normalcy by attempting to keep Bucky alive.

Their bedroom wasn't really a room of its own. A glass brick wall separated it from the kitchen and living area, there were no doors and he could hear every word.

James was layering his tactical gear, and Vera was pacing back and fourth, causing unease. His metal arm abruptly reached out and stopped her, the action caught her off guard and her fist cuffed his cheek. He couldn't help but smile at her reaction, she had become so quick to move, the heat of her emotions and skill acted before her mind could stop her. He had taught her a few grappling moves on occasion and sometimes made her spar until her arms were numb. She was already a seasoned, fitness fighter when they met and he wanted her to perfect on it. His intention was to empower her, and ease his mind when he wasn't by her side.

Vera apologized but couldn't find the strength to look at her lover.

"Vera, look at me." He commanded, gently.

She did just that, her eyes damp and struggling to keep the tears at bay.

"Do you trust me?"

His words echoing in her mind, the reminder of the first time uttered.

 _She cried out, her breath erratic and staggered but the two men continued to ask the same thing over and over_

" _WHERE IS HE?"_

 _She didn't know, she wasn't privy to Steve and his whereabouts but they continued to punish her. The larger of the two grabbed her by the throat and lifted her body as if she were nothing. If Vera had learnt anything in these past few years, it was that she was a fighter, she could get through it and she would be damned if this was going to be it._

 _She had excelled at kickboxing after Steve had insisted but there was no room for elegance in this situation, her vision was starting to blacken. Vera dug her nails into the assailants forearms with all the force she could muster, it was working , she broke skin in numerous places. He roared out in agony and released her. The smaller of the two came at her but she threw a punch that would have made Ali proud. Vera caught him hard in her jaw, the entirety of her frame weighted behind the blow and he fell to the floor with a thud._

 _There was no time to celebrate. While she had freed herself from the large mans grip, he had only become more enraged in the process. She leaned into a kick,but he caught her leg and gripped the other, the sudden fall left her winded and gasping for air. Just as her breath found her, the weight of his boot on her chest did as well. She felt paralysed under his cruel blue eyes._

" _Where is he, you stupid bitch!"_

 _All she could taste was the iron rich liquid seeping from her busted lip. If this was how she was going to die, she could at least get one last jab in. She let the scarlet liquid mix with her saliva and like a Yankees pitcher, she spit that cocktail of bile straight into his gaze._

 _A blood curdling scream leaped from her throat, louder than the cracking noise her shoulder made as he dislocated the joint._

 _Vera closed her eyes, she had never felt physical pain quite as that and the intensity brought instant tears to eyes, longing to cry out for the mother she lost long ago. Her eyes opened long enough to see the pleased look on his square face but almost as instantly as she saw it, it was gone. She heard a sound similar to a light wisp of rushing air, followed by two more. His eyes were wide and the blood drained from his face, a figure kicked him off of her, his lifeless body fell to the floor next to her. Vera would have screamed in shock but the pain was all she could focus on._

 _Her body tensed when she saw him, it was the man that had brought her here in the first place._

 _His stare was less intimidating then the first time she had met it, there was anger yes, but not directed towards her. Vera should like to keep it that way._

" _Please, I don't know where he is." Her voice was hoarse and uneven, her eyes pleaded with him to allow her to endure no more. But she did not look upon him with fear and his icy gaze softened as much as it could. The Winter Soldier was expecting her to recoil when he knelt down close to her yet, she didn't. He felt something for her the first time he saw her, something foreign, warm and now it was more intense the closer he was to her._

 _He could see the joint out of place, and the pained expression on her face. He had to no- he wanted to fix it._

 _James pulled her onto her knees as gently as he could and held her steady, bracing one knee between her legs and she followed his eyes. They landed at her injured shoulder but his flesh and bone limb touched the sullied white tee shirt that clung to her skin._

 _Vera understood his intentions and nodded but instead of lifting it from her he simply tore it open and slid one sleeve off before making to the other side. He peeled it off slowing, the act of which made a hiss escape her bloody, busted lips. He could see the bruising all the way from her lovely collar bone, over her shoulder and ending at the top of her ribs._

 _Vera was trembling in agony, she felt weak in front of him a man she gathered had not one ounce of venerability and she clutched onto him with her good arm. She felt the cold metal of his hand wrap itself around the dislocated joint and she moaned out in despair. He could hear the soft whimper being muffled by his tact vest._

" _Look at me."_

 _He whispered though his masked mouth._

 _Vera pulled her eyes up, glassy and tearful to gaze upon his own. She attempted to stay fixated on the blueness of them, like the clearest, deepest ocean and her nerves began to calm._

" _Do you trust me?" He asked._

 _The question surprised them both but her mind returned to the pain, then to his eye, she trusted him above anyone here. She had to, there had to be some good in this man after all,he hadn't done anything to truly hurt her. He had saved her even from much worse than a dislocated shoulder and shattered spirits._

 _She did trust him and hardly had to think more on it._

" _Yes."_

 _She whispered, her voice wrapped in agony._

 _Vera held onto his broad shoulder tighter, hid her face in his chest and squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation._

" _Eyes on me."_

 _He commanded her with a light urgency, she wasn't like him and the intensity of the act could cause her to pass out. If she focused on him, it could delay the process. He could memorize the beautiful mess of copper and tawny in her eyes and how they looked at him with faith in this moment. He could master the feel of her obsidian locks against his chin, he could extract the flowery spice of her natural scent. He knew what they would do to him if they found out(when they found out) he had helped and the soldier did not want to forget this time._

 _James could feel the pressure of her nails even through his leather sleeve and the satisfying pop he was aiming for. Her lovely eyes were wide, her lips opened and a silent rush of air whooshed out._

 _He kept repeating the command, willing her to stay present and conscious but her lids grew heavy and her limp body fell into him._

Vera choked back the sobs fighting their way up her throat.

" Of course I do. You know I do."

James pulled her to him, holding her tightly against his chest. He could inhale her breathe her in better this way, keep it fresh in the front of his mind.

"Stop smelling me you weirdo." She laughed softly.

She could feel the rare smirk against the crown of her head. Vera could feel his hesitation when he pulled back and held her gaze.

" I know you trust him too. I'm grateful for that right now. He'll keep you safe."

It pained him to say those words, paranoia crept through his body and sadness at the thought of Steve stealing back the light of his life. Knowing she would be guarded took priority above all else at the moment.

James bent down slightly to capture her lips and she met his zeal with her own passion, devouring each other, memorizing.

He pulled back, wanting nothing more than to rip the clothes from her body and have her again but he couldn't this time, instead he offered something more.

" I love you."

" I love you too. Please, come back to me."

" I always do."

There was no truer statement, they had wiped him twice while she was captive and each time he would remember her, he would come back to her and lose himself wilfully.

" Wait."

Vera rushed to her table side and pulled a Polaroid from the pile. She hurried back to him and offered the portrait. One he had taken of her, wearing his favourite peach and yellow sundress, hair wild and a cheeky smile on her face.

James couldn't say anymore, all he could do was smile and place the token beneath his gear and by his heart. His kissed her forehead gently and whispered.

"Be seeing you."

She gasped and he was gone out the balcony window.

Vera was caught off guard by the familiarity of his last words, something she and Steve would say to one another. It was an honest thing for Bucky to pick up, she listened to it enough. 'Shit- Steve'

She was back to the present, wiping the now fresh tears from her eyes.

She took a deep breath and walked back into the kitchen, but as soon as she saw him she fell apart.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve Rogers had been utterly tormented by the affirmation of love between his once best friend and former sweetheart. Now he stood across from her, tearful and heartsick in her kitchen. He was unsure how to proceed, was it right for him to hug her? He really wanted to hold her, and steal her pain away, pain he knew was still entirely his fault. He could offer his comfort at the very even though he was terrified that one touch could make him undone.

Steve cautiously stepped forward as if he were diffusing a violent situation like a bomb threat or a hostile.

Vera was trying to hide it, biding her tears away but they fell far too fast to keep up.

"I'm sorry."

Was all he could say. All he could muster at this moment, comfort wasn't his strong suit. When they were together the best he could do when she was troubled was hold her so he offered the only relief he could with outstretched arms.

Vera was weary. She was angry, bitter and heartbroken in this moment. Probably the only woman in the world that held onto resentment for the handsome Captain, but she was more irate with herself. Furious at the small tingle in the pit of her stomach when he came close, outraged at her own body for sinking into his offered arms.

She cursed herself, immersed in the luxury of his warmth but she resolved it to be that of a friend seeking comfort in another friend. Vera couldn't lose herself like this, not after everything, not after she had given herself so completely to James. Fresh tears fell, nothing could ever be normal, she gave that up five years ago when she fell in love with a stranger. Someone that was far more complicated than he let on to be.

Steve would hold onto her for as long as she needed and ever the gentleman, he kept his arms around her shoulder. In this moment, he wished that he wasn't chivalrous. He wanted to soothe her the way he used to, caressing the sides of he body, tracing every curve, kissing the top of her head while inhaling the sweetness of her. He couldn't not now, not ever again. The task would prove difficult with having her in such close proximity again and given the way his heart fluttered when he saw her again. It felt like the first time all over again, he relished in the familiarity of it all.

 _He found an apartment just a block up the road from his childhood home in Brooklyn and spent most of his days either working out at the gym or reading up on the past seven decades. Brooklyn was like an alternate universe now, trendy and cutting edge filled with little designer boutiques and nightlife hotspots,so far removed from the city he called home. Steve couldn't bare the thought of living life without Brooklyn so he put up with the obscure changes. Everyday he would walk down the block and around the corner to have a bite and read the thick books borrowed from the library. His diner of choice was a family owned joint named 'Hal's'. It had passed into the very hardworking hands of a 30 something man named Oscar and his nitpicking wife Donna. Despite their constant battles in the kitchen, the couple always made a point to welcome patrons as if they were one of their own._

 _Steve sat in a red cushioned booth with his mind immersed in a book written about the 60's, The sexual liberation, the bra burnings and technical advancements were enough to make his eyes go fuzzy and his brain hazy. He placed the book down, pinching the bridge of his nose before taking a sip of steaming black coffee._

 _His eyes darted to the doors as the bell rang and **she** walked in. _

_His heart beat quickened, his palms became sweaty and his nerves were shaky._

 _She was a walking pinup caught in the wrong decade. Tall with dark hair that was curled just so and parted deep on the left side. Even underneath the grey bundle of wool Steve could that she had a body that could stop traffic. His eyes travelled up towards a face that blew him away, it seemed impossible that in 2011 someone like this was walking around without him noticing. A soft olive complexion , defined rosy cheeks and big scarlet lips pursed ever so gently, breathing in the warm heat that melted the cold from outside. She was holding the hand of a scrawny little blonde boy that seemed to quiver with fear the moment he walked in with her._

" _Aunty Vera, I don't wanna." He pouted._

 _She only smiled warmly, big, beautiful, golden brown eyes made Steves insides flutter more. She knelt down to his level wiping away what seemed to be a tiny trace of blood on his small little mouth._

" _Now listen here Marcus, you have to tell them sooner or later." She reasoned with the small boy._

 _Oscar hadn't even noticed their entrance as he was off arguing with his wife about something trivial once again._

" _My mom's just gonna get mad again, and my dad is gonna call me a sissy." He snivelled._

 _Steve couldn't help but feel a slight tug at his heart when the boy mentioned that part. He had been pummelled on these streets, beaten, broken, spit on but in the end he was granted the last laugh._

 _Without skipping a beat his aunt was already soothing him._

" _Hey hey now. Don't ever let me catch you saying that word again okay. Your not a sissy bud, you stood up to those boys and you know what?"_

" _What?" he shook._

" _That makes you more brave than they could ever be because bullies are just a bunch of scaredy-cats."_

 _Marcus giggled and wrapped his thin little arms around his aunt, she wiped away the last of his tears before propping him up on one of the swivel chairs at the front counter._

" _Oscar?" She called in a smooth voice._

 _The dark haired man appeared from behind the swinging door of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of his baby sister and only child._

" _There's my boy. How was school kiddo?" He asked._

 _Oscar filled a glass of milk and sat it in front of Marcus followed by a few fresh chocolate chip cookies._

" _Okay I guess." he sniffed._

 _The man's brow furrowed slightly._

" _Did you get beat up again? Were you crying?" he asked rather brashly._

" _Oscar!" The beauty scolded her older brother._

" _What?"_

" _Stop talking to him like that, you sound like dad. Marcus was sneezing the whole way here, the cold weather doesn't help much." she lied sending a wink in her nephews direction._

" _Sorry, kiddo it's just."_

" _Drop it Oscar." She interrupted._

 _He immediately changed the subject._

" _Thanks for picking him up Vivian. You got time for some grub?"_

 _She was already in the midst of pouring a cup of coffee._

" _Could you be a doll my dear brother and make me up a sandwich to go."She pleaded._

" _You can't stay?"_

" _I have to be at the club by five. New band, we need to see how we jive."_

 _Vera blew the hot steam above the white china mug finally satisfied with its temperature, she took a sip leaving a red tattoo along the rim._

" _How are you getting home?" Donna chimed in. She flipped her over inflated golden hair back over her shoulder._

" _Walking." she took another sip._

 _Steve couldn't take his eyes off of her. Vera caught his eye briefly and smiled at the handsome stranger. It racked her brain slightly, he seemed to be so familiar but she couldn't place it._

" _Vera!" She scolded out of concern for her sister in law._

" _Yeah, you gotta get a car or a boyfriend to walk you home."Oscar added. "What about Robert? He's had the hots for you since you were kids."Oscar stated bluntly._

 _._

" _No." She sipped on her coffee hoping this overplayed conversation would be over sooner than later._

" _Your so picky Vera."_

" _I'm not picky Oscar. I just don't think its too much to ask for a man to control his grabby hands. Maybe hold the door open once in a while and may you recall the teary eyed little girl that came home with a bloody nose at the hands of Robert."She stated._

" _You were kids."_

" _I was 13."_

" _That was almost ten years ago and besides, boys pick on girls they like."_

 _She rolled her eyes in plain view of her older brother._

" _Men like Robert are all the same, bully's don't change. Do you really want me with someone like that?"She finished._

 _Taking one last gulp of her coffee and set the delicate cup into a bin of soapy water behind the counter._

 _Marcus had returned with a small paper bag in his hands and he raced over to his aunt._

" _Here aunty Vera."_

 _He proudly handed the bag towards her. She peaked inside hit instantly by the smell of wheat, fresh bananas and velvety peanut butter._

" _Did you make this all by yourself?" She asked._

 _Marcus scuffed his sneakers and bashfully nodded._

" _I know its your favourite." he added._

" _Thank you Marcus. She now there's a real gentleman."_

 _Oscar and Donna forgot momentarily what they were fighting about before and instead looked on as proud parents at their little son swelling with pride._

" _Are we still getting ice cream tomorrow." he asked sweetly._

" _Of course. I'm going to pick you up a little earlier if that's okay with your mum and dad."_

" _By all means, Saturday's are his favourite day. We'll be here as usual."_

 _Vera had helped out with Marcus since the day he was born. As he grew older she would take him shopping or to the park, sometimes even the fair when it was in town, but Saturday was ice cream day, rain or shine._

 _Steve caught her eye again and she smiled before exiting the diner bundling her jacket buttons back up as she braced the cold and carried on down the street._

 _Steve cursed himself for not running after her but at least now he knew that he had at least a slight chance of running into her again._

 _Vera, even her name exuded class. In the brief few minutes she spent in the diner he could tell immediately that she had a kind heart and it was always in the right place. Vivian did not put up with any guff, she was brave and passionate about what she believed in unafraid of standing up for even the littlest creatures. Few and far between was that a common trait in mankind. As a bonus she was a stone cold knockout._

Steve felt that rush all over again and holding her in his arms once more made it all the harder to ignore the feelings he tried to push down. He didn't want to ever let go again.

It was her soft voice that pulled him back, and the emptiness of her body leaving his.

" Where are we going?"

" Back to D.C."

Anxiety flushed through her body.


End file.
